Olá! I'm Luana from Brasília, the capital of Brazil. A couple of years ago I was, just like you, looking through this blog hoping to get to know Dartmouth. But now, I get to tell you why I love being a Dartmouth student! From the academic opportunities to the community, I'll show you how grateful I am to have chosen the College on the Hill. So, consider this an invitation to accompany me as this blog becomes your looking glass into life in Hanover.
As a bookworm who loved dissecting and analyzing novels or philosophical works, a writing class focused on classical literature with weekly discussions was the right fit for me. Between reading Sophocles, Nietzsche, and Rawls, I had the opportunity to reassess my approach to reading, deepen my interpretations, and improve my public speaking skills while broadening my recognition of the significance of critical thinking.
I'll be honest: Physics has never been my favorite subject, until now. This term I am taking Introduction to Physics, a course that has shown me new horizons of what science can do. This class wasn't about calculating the movements of falling objects, it was about mathematically comprehending natural phenomena. The grandeur of that became evident as my professor, an accomplished experimental physicist, would passionately lecture on kinematics, waves, thermodynamics, and more.
I went into the woods and explored the fantastical worlds of the Brothers Grimm tales. It was definitely a thrilling and meaningful experience to analyse Snow White's virtues and Little Red Riding Hood's morals as important pieces of European culture. In other words, I got to study my childhood fairy tales, journeying through their real-world impact on a sociological, psychological, anthropological, and historical perspective.
For this summer, I decided to go home! Along with enjoying family and friends, I had the opportunity to learn a great deal during an internship at one of Brazil's top financial services institutions. There, I supported strategic growth and market positioning initiatives, delivered analysis and recommendations directly to senior stakeholders, and designed and executed internal engagement strategies to enhance organizational alignment and employee experience across business units. I also used this time to travel a little bit, exploring some of Japan. All in all, it's been a wonderful summer!
This class posed a new challenge for me: to improve the communication and marketing strategy of a real non-profit organization in New Hampshire. Through a 10-week term, our class analysed the marketing strategies of multi-national corporations and their sustainability positioning. We used these skills to create some real-world impact in our community and help surrounding organizations. Applying my classroom knowledge to improve my community was a thrilling experience!
When people imagine summer break, they often picture beaches, road trips, and catching up on sleep. And while I did have my fair share of pão de queijo and warm Brasília sunsets, this summer looked a little different.
As an intern at one of Brazil's leading financial services firms, VLG | XP Investimentos, I spent my days working on strategy, design, and employee experience. But beyond spreadsheets and slides, I found purpose in my daily rhythms—from quiet morning prayers to post-work dinners with my family. Here's a peek into one of those days!
Morning
My Rosary and trusted sidekick!
My mornings started quietly. I'd wake up around 8 am, with sunlight already peeking through my window and just enough time to have a good, calm breakfast before heading to work. One of the most grounding parts of my day is praying the rosary before work—it became an essential moment of peace and centering. Even when my schedule got hectic (and it often did), keeping this prayer as a part of my routine carried calm into everything else.
Work-fit of the day!
By 9 am, I was heading into the office to my own workspace. There I went deep into my current project: redesigning the entire onboarding experience for new employees at the company. It was a big task, but also one that combined everything I love: strategic thinking, design, empathy, and storytelling.
That day, I was building a slide deck to present my final recommendations. I had spent weeks interviewing leaders from every company department, analyzing existing processes, and thinking deeply about how to best align incoming professionals with the company's vision in a clear and practical way, from day one. The purpose was to make this onboarding process reliable and harmonious, where every piece of information would connect to the next, and all new employees would be confident, even with the details of the firm's operations.
My office and daily companion: my water bottle
By 11 am, I stepped into my last few interviews with department heads to learn about their needs in terms of the onboarding process. The inquisitive nature of these encounters made it into a perfect learning opportunity, for every department of this financial institution was within my grasp. Through it, I was able to immerse myself in the operations of the entire company, optimizing it.
Meeting time!
Afternoon
By 1 pm, I stepped away from the office and into something I appreciated very much: a laughter-filled meal with friends from home. We shared amazing food and updated each other on everything—work, vacations, family, and favorite memes. It was a heartwarming moment to share with my loved ones from back home.
A poke lunch with my friends.
A quick one, however, since I was back at the office soon after that. There, I kept working on my final presentation—adjusting layouts, refining language, and aligning visuals. I wanted it to feel like more than a proposal. I wanted it to feel like a vision.
I hit pause on the project around 4 pm to produce some of the marketing content for this month such as recording, directing, and editing videos for our current campaigns.
Night
After work, I went to the gym around 6 pm. It was my time to reset and shift from work-mode to home-mode, stepping away from the screens toward something energizing.
A little bit of cardio, after work
By 8:30 pm, I was ending the day with my favorite part: dinner with my family. Sitting at the table with my parents, debriefing about our days, and stealing bites from each other's plates. Something I truly missed at Dartmouth.
Interning at VLG | XP Investimentos provided me with more than just career experience. It gave me rhythm. A chance to build something meaningful and still return to the people and practices that shape who I am.
Not all days looked like this, but most did, and I was grateful for every single one.
This past summer, I was a Dartmouth Bound Leader with Admissions and a leader for Strengthening Educational Access with Dartmouth (SEAD) with the Center for Social Impact. With my rural, low-income background, I found it fulfilling to be a mentor.
My study abroad experience this past summer helped me grow in meaningful ways. The lessons I learned didn't stay in China—they continue to shape how I approach my life, relationships, and goals today. Read on to hear more!
My off-term in Hanover full of winter magic: I'm already daydreaming about the annual snowball fight, hot-cocoa fueled Woccoms (walks around Occom Pond), and cozying up in the Tower Room with a good book.
